The Last Tomorrow
by ReillyJade
Summary: Baby Teddy is restless on a clear, starry night. Remus, unable to sleep either, takes his son out for some fresh air. In an attempt to help him fall asleep, Remus tells him a story about the things he's learned about life since meeting Tonks. A tender father/son moment. {Written for Liza.}


_DISCLAIMER:_ All of the places and characters in this story belong to the genius Ms. J.K. Rowling. No profit is being made from this story. It only serves to (hopefully) entertain_._

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_**-The Last Tomorrow-**_

Teddy's cries, which were rather strong for a newborn, roused Remus from his slumber in the early hours of the morning. He didn't mind very much, as he'd been having an awful dream that he was more than happy to rid himself of. Visions of still faces and green beams of light had plagued his sleep, and the fact that some of the faces were those of his loved ones made it the worst sort of nightmare. Unusual as it was, his son's sleepy wails were most welcome.

Before heaving himself out of bed, Remus rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands and glanced to his left. He smiled at the sight of Tonks, sprawled out on her tummy beside him and seemingly dead to the world. Her hair was a calm azure and the corner of her mouth was dampened with a tiny bit of drool. It was just as well; Teddy had been having a rough couple of days, and poor Tonks had been up with him all day and most of the night before. Remus, of course, had insisted they take turns, but she'd refused to sleep until she knew for certain Teddy was alright.

_Stubborn witch, you are,_ he thought, a cheeky grin plastered to his face.

"Hey, there," Remus cooed, lifting the squirming Teddy out of the bassinet next to the bed. "How's my little nugget doing? Did you have a nightmare?"

Teddy merely wailed in reply. His hair was the most vibrant shade of red; he could have given the Weasleys a run for their money. Remus cradled his son against his chest, one hand brushing against Teddy's incredibly tiny one. The little boy's hand clamped tightly around Remus's forefinger.

"I guess so," Remus murmured with a small chuckle. "I was having one, too, sweetheart. I know how scary those can be. Sometimes it helps me to go for a walk. Would you like to go for a walk with me?"

Remus carried Teddy out of the master bedroom. It had been partially true that he went for walks after nightmares, but Remus really just wanted an excuse to get out of that room; if Tonks had awoken and sacrificed any more sleep, she'd have gone mad. In a sense, he was saving all three of them from being miserable.

Remus found himself outside in the garden. It was a perfectly clear night, and a cool, crisp breeze gently rattled the surrounding trees. Thousands of glittering stars freckled the velvety black sky. He was beyond thrilled to see only a sliver of moon.

"Look at all those stars, Teddy," he said. Teddy's cries had mellowed out to fussy whimpers, and Remus heaved a small sigh of relief. "Aren't they beautiful? I love them. Now, I'm not a fan of their friend The Moon – he and I don't get on very well – but I'll tell you about that in time. I hope you and he get along, though."

Remus winced at the thought of Teddy inheriting his worst gene. The uncertainty was driving him crazy with worry, but he tried not to think about it too much.

"It was a night like this when I agreed to marry your mum," he continued, grinning at the memory. "Yes, she asked me – _several_ times, might I add. There's something about women and the night sky. They think it's so romantic and they go absolutely bonkers for it. That, and roses. Goodness, they love roses. Why am I even telling you this?"

He glanced down at the now perfectly calm baby; Teddy wasn't even wiggling around anymore. His hair had even changed to azure, just like his mum's was whenever she was calm, and his brown eyes stared expectantly up at his father.

"Oh, so this is how I get you to listen to me? I have to talk about girls and tell you love stories?" Remus asked with a small laugh. "Well, unfortunately, that's all I've got, son. Your mum's the love of my life. I mean, there was Emmy back at school, but your mum... well, she's really something, Teddy. I'm so lucky to have her."

Teddy hiccuped and shifted around in the blanket he was wrapped in.

"Want to know the scary part? I almost didn't take the chance. See, The Moon... let's just say because of it, I've been alone for a good bit of my life, mostly by choice. I didn't want to hurt your mummy. I love her so much, you see, and I never could have forgiven myself if something happened to her. But... well, you know her. Feisty and insistent, that one. Something tells me you're going to be a lot like her."

Remus gently brushed his hand against Teddy's cheek. The infant was winding down; his eyes were slowly drooping.

"And I _want_ you to be like her, Teddy," he continued. "Never be afraid to say what you want or how you feel. Me... I was _always_ afraid because of my condition, but your mum helped me out of that. Now look at me. I not only have her, but I have you, too, and I'm so happy, Teddy. _So_ happy."

Teddy's eyes were closed and his breaths were steady; he'd fallen into a peaceful slumber once more.

"That's the one thing I want for you, sweetheart," Remus murmured to Teddy's sleeping form. "I want nothing but happiness for you. Do what brings you joy, whatever that may be. Surround yourself with people who make you smile. Try to find the good in everything. And if you're lucky enough to find someone who makes you feel like I do whenever I see your mum, never let that person go. Even if it's scary, take the chance, because otherwise you'll always wonder."

"Nice speech," came a voice from behind them. Remus turned around to see a smiling, pajama-clad Tonks leaning against the door frame, hair tousled from sleep.

"How long have you been there?"

"A minute or so," she said with a shrug. "I was wondering where my two boys had run off to."

"Just needed a little fresh air is all," Remus said with a smile. "He's out like a light now."

"Good."

They walked back inside, stopping in the kitchen for a quick snack for no reason other than they were both up and felt like having some chocolate. Teddy briefly stirred at the sound of the wrappings, but he just as quickly nuzzled up against his father and passed out again. Remus responded by kissing him on the forehead. Before they headed back upstairs, Tonks tore the thirtieth of April off the calender, crumpled it into a ball, and chucked it at the rubbish bin. She missed.

When the three of them made it back to their bedroom, Remus didn't lay Teddy back in the bassinet. Instead, he placed him on the bed right between himself and his wife.

_Wife. _It still sounded surreal to him, but he certainly wasn't complaining.

"He's so precious," Tonks said lovingly. "I could stare at that little face forever."

"Me, too."

"But," she yawned, "I don't think my body plans on allowing that. Good night. I love you."

"I love you, too."

Tonks fell asleep almost immediately. Remus followed shortly, but not before once again feeling beyond blessed to have the two sleeping people right beside him. They were everything he'd never known he wanted or even deserved, yet there they were, and he couldn't imagine a life without them in it.

For the first time in his memory, Remus imagined the future and for once saw nothing but light.

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**Author's Note:** This was written for Liza as part of the 2014 GGE. I hope you enjoyed it, love!

Thanks for reading! :)


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